Content Area(s): Life Science Topic: Brain Development Short description: Research shows that drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short time can have a greater negative effect on the brains of teen girls than of teen boys. \
Claim: Binge drinking alcohol might be more harmful to the brains of teen girls than teen boys.
Keywords: binge drinking, alcohol Difficulty of Concept: Easy
MS-ETS1 Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy
RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
It is clear that all teenagers, whether girls or boys, have adverse effects from binge drinking. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Stanford University reported in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research that teenage girls who binge drink suffer more brain damage than teenage boys who binge drink.
They define binge drinking as four or more drinks for girls and five or more drinks for boys in the same sitting. Of the 95 teenagers who were studied, 40 reported taking part in binge drinking. The study found that activity levels were lower in several parts of the brains of girls who binge drink than those of girls who did not binge drink. The study also showed that the brain activity in these areas was lower for girls who binge drink than for boys who binge drink. The area of the brain affected included areas responsible for spatial working memory and attention.
The researchers where not sure why the girls' brains were affected more than the boys' but it could be due to the fact that girls' brains develop several years before boys', or that girls have slower metabolic rates than boys. Other possible reasons are that girls have a higher body fat ratio than boys have, or that boys’ and girls’ brains are subjected to different hormones as they develop.
Despite the reasons, the damage to the teenagers’ brains can last for a long time after the binge-drinking event. Nearly three of 10 high school seniors reported binge drinking in the last month and according to the Center for Disease Control, 75% of all alcohol consumed in the USA is done so during binge drinking sessions.
Title: Gender Inequality in Teen Drinking
Content Area(s): Life ScienceTopic: Brain Development
Short description: Research shows that drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short time can have a greater negative effect on the brains of teen girls than of teen boys. \
Claim: Binge drinking alcohol might be more harmful to the brains of teen girls than teen boys.
Keywords: binge drinking, alcohol
Difficulty of Concept: Easy
Reading Level (Pit Stop 8 Article):
Flesch Reading Ease: 54.7Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 11.9
Lexile: 1390
Next Generation Science Standards:
MS-ETS1 Engineering DesignMS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/LiteracyRST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Vocabulary Words: adverse effects, metabolic rate, hormones
Topic of Game Introduction Video: Do's and Don'ts: Reasonable Arguments
Link to Game Introduction Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r8f2fyuJc
Full Text of Article:
It is clear that all teenagers, whether girls or boys, have adverse effects from binge drinking. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Stanford University reported in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research that teenage girls who binge drink suffer more brain damage than teenage boys who binge drink.They define binge drinking as four or more drinks for girls and five or more drinks for boys in the same sitting. Of the 95 teenagers who were studied, 40 reported taking part in binge drinking. The study found that activity levels were lower in several parts of the brains of girls who binge drink than those of girls who did not binge drink. The study also showed that the brain activity in these areas was lower for girls who binge drink than for boys who binge drink. The area of the brain affected included areas responsible for spatial working memory and attention.
The researchers where not sure why the girls' brains were affected more than the boys' but it could be due to the fact that girls' brains develop several years before boys', or that girls have slower metabolic rates than boys. Other possible reasons are that girls have a higher body fat ratio than boys have, or that boys’ and girls’ brains are subjected to different hormones as they develop.
Despite the reasons, the damage to the teenagers’ brains can last for a long time after the binge-drinking event. Nearly three of 10 high school seniors reported binge drinking in the last month and according to the Center for Disease Control, 75% of all alcohol consumed in the USA is done so during binge drinking sessions.
References/Sources:
Additional Content:
Author: Cindy Wilbur